1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to plugs, specifically to plug kits for sealing apertures.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, it has been known to use plugs to seal apertures of connectors, such as pipes and hoses. Plugs are often used to seal apertures of connectors to prevent leaks, spills, and contamination. Many plugs form air-tight seals which prevent the escape of matter from the aperture, as well as prevent matter from entering the aperture.
In addition, it has been known to use plugs of various shapes and sizes to seal apertures. In particular, it has been known to use plugs with lips to seal apertures. Such plugs generally have a tubular body with disk-shaped lips on an outer peripheral surface of the body spaced at equal intervals. Diameters of plugs may vary according to diameters of the lips.
Also, many plugs seal apertures by frictional resistance. Sealing by frictional resistance requires that plugs be flexible for insertion and removal. It is also beneficial for plugs to be somewhat elastic, and have memory, for reuse. However, it is desirable for plugs to retain some structural integrity for holding up against large amounts of pressure. Advantageously, plugs with lips can be brought into close contact with an inner wall of an aperture without significant distortion. Further, plug sealings may be reinforced by locking mechanisms or gap-fillers.
Because heavy equipment has numerous apertures with a multiplicity of shapes and sizes, there is a need for plugs which correspond to, and seal, apertures of heavy equipment. In particular, there is a need for plugs which are easy to select, are easy to install, which have a variety of diameters, which have an excellent memory, and which hold up against fuel and oil spills. Some improvements have been made in the field. Examples include but are not limited to the references described below, which references are incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,875, issued to Troncoso, Jr., discloses a safety plug device for fuel lines. The safety plug device is adapted to reasonably plug the fluid fuel line of an internal combustion engine. The device has an external multiple stepped cylindrical configuration and/or central cavity with a like configuration so that it can be used effectively with various diameter of fuel lines and can either be inserted in the central opening of the fuel line or can be disposed over the fuel line, to prevent loss of fuel after the fuel line is removed from, for example a carburetor. The device is preferably of resilient elastomeric material resistant to deterioration by fuel and can include metal inserts, or be all metal, ceramic, etc. Moreover, because the plug device physically reinforces the fuel line, clamping of the fuel line at the plug device does not damage the fuel line. In one embodiment, the plug device includes an outer protective resilient sheath which enables clamps of a single diameter to be effectively used.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2005/0274568, by Falco et al., discloses a high sound attenuating hearing protection device. A hearing protection device insertable into an earcanal is provided, the device generally including a stem portion, a sound attenuating portion affixed to and extending at least partially over the stem portion, and a volume of space disposed between and delimited by the sound attenuating portion and the stem portion, where at least a part of the sound attenuating portion is collapsible into the volume of space during insertion of the hearing protection device into the earcanal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,033,215, issued to Kobayashi, discloses a sealing plug and a watertight connector provided therewith. A rubber plug is inserted into a cavity of a connector housing after and insulated wire is inserted through a wire insertion hole to provide a watertight seal between an inner wall of the cavity and the insulated wire. Frictional resistance between the inner wall of the cavity and the rubber plug is larger that the frictional resistance between the insulated wire and the rubber plug. The frictional resistance between the insulated wire and the rubber plug permits movement of the insulated wire relative to the rubber plug when the insulated wire is caused to expand in longitudinal direction by heat.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: 2006/0102418, by Magidson discloses an earplug. An earplug composed of an injected molded resilient polymeric material for insertion into an ear canal by a fingertip of a user, including an elongated member having a nose portion formed as a curved front end. An open cup shaped rearward extending flange located at the end of the elongated member opposite to the nose portion and with the open cup shaped rearward extending flange configured to receive the fingertip of the user. The elongated member including at least one flange element located intermediate the nose portion and the open cup shape flange. The nose portion and the flange element having a generally curved shape to extend into and conform the wall of the ear canal. The earplug composed of a resilient polymer material having a relatively low Shore A Durometer hardness value.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,820,717, issued to Fleming et. al., discloses a pressure regulating earplug. An earplug is provided for use by an airplane passenger, which more slowly increases the pressure of air in the passenger's ear canal than the rate of increase in cabin air pressure as the airplane descends near the end of a flight. The earplug has a cavity that is open to the front end of the earplug, and with a restrictor at the front end of the cavity that allows air to pass between the cavity and ear canal, and the cavity to collapse, only at a very slow rate. As the environmental air pressure increases near the end of a flight, the earplug is slowly compressed in diameter and compresses the cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,800,791, issued to Visor, discloses an adjustable ear plug. A flexible ear plug has flanges thereon of gradually increasing size. The plug can be inserted into an auditory canal after which the diameter of the flanges can be increased by forcing an insert into a cavity in the plug. One size plug, due to the variation in diameters of the flanges and the fact that the diameters can be increased by use of the insert fits all sizes of auditory canals.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,036,541, issued to Koumatsu, discloses a rubber plug with lips. The rubber plug includes a tubular body having a cross-sectionally corrugated inner surface including a plurality of conically shaped surfaces, and a plurality of lips formed integrally on and projecting radially outwardly from an outer surface of the tubular body in planes perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the tubular body and including first, second and third lips, the plurality of lips being spaced along the longitudinal axis, wherein a distance between the first lip and the second lip in a direction of the longitudinal axis is different than a distance between the second and third lips in the direction of the longitudinal axis.
The inventions heretofore known suffer from a number of disadvantages, which include: having limited sealing surfaces, having limited sealing capacity, having limited memory, having an inability to hold up against fuel and oil spills, being difficult to select, being difficult to install, being limited in size, and/or having an inability to prevent contamination.
What is needed is a plug kit and/or device and/or system that solves one or more of the problems described herein and/or one or more problems that may come to the attention of one skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with this specification.